The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1887-07-23
A LETTER
From Morgun District Teacher ON the
Subject Of Teachers Salaries.

To the Editor of the NEW DOMINION:
If you viii permit me | would like
to say a few words to our people
upon the subject of Teachers Sala-
ries. Many times heretofore has
this subject been mentioned and dis
cussed; but there still exists the
need of agitation on this question.
The teacher is the supplement of
the parent His influence either
makes or mars. The taxpayers in
hiring a man to teach their school
employ man to exercise authority
like unto their own, when the chill
dren are at school That teacher
may so inspire and energise your
boy as to assure him of success and
usefulness. Or he may allow him.
through neglect of duty or ignorance,
to fall into habits of listlessness and
laxness that will forever make of
him a mediocre. Then parents who
are you hiring for the guardians of
your children?
Teachers then mist have abilities
and preparation for this work. 1t
is not every one who either has the
ability or the training for this all
important work. Hence it must fol.
low that this ability when found
demands recognition.
If dozen men can break stones
on the street, where only one can
teach school successfully, chat one
deserves more money for his work,
because his ability is Of a higher
order. Again, the work calls for
years of earnest special preparation
at gaeat cost of money and vital
energy. Ought not this be compen
stated? Say it takes three years to
become an adept as a carpenter and
ten years of equally hard appliea-
ton to become a thorough lawyer,
which ought to receive the greater
compensation for his labor. On the
same principal ought not our teach
ers receive more wages than the half
civilized Hungarian, who digs dirt
on the railroad for his living?
The teacher merits more money
for days work than does any day
laborer for his work is more skilled.
Il am of course speaking of thor.
oughly competent teachers and we
ought not to have any other kind,
and would not, if we would pay good
ones sufficient to justify their work
ing.
Another idea is prevalent especial
ly among our farming population,
which is absolutely erroneous.
That the teachers work is easy.
Ny dear farmer friend, do you not
know that the true teacher who in
spires his pupils and guides them as
he ought does his work at the cost
of n greater expenditure of vital
force than you can possibly use in
any work of your farm. Now |
know this to be so, for farm myself
sometimes. More, he will wear him
self out sooner than you will. Your
work requires the giving of your
physical strength; his requires the
giving of his very life. And your
days work ceases at night. His is
not more than half done, when you
release him from the school house at
4 o'clock. If he is true teacher
each lesson, no matter how elemen-
tary, will be reviewed for the NOR
row; different methods Of presenta
ton will be thought over; and plans
for reaching out and grasping the
half dormant mind of your child will
be considered until late hour of
night finds him seeking his bed
nervous and exhausted.
And as it has been before he had
to teach four weeks and two days
for his months salary, and pay for
his boarding month, which was
counted four weeks. So at the end
of the term he would pay board for
four months and eight days, while
he received pay for only four months;
and yet receiving only pittance as
his salary. When the Legislature
saw this injustice and righted it last
winter by making the school month
twenty days in length, a moss
bacllism" cried against it. And
even this spirit has caused the
Boards of Education in various
parts of the county to curtail the
wages on account of this change in
the law; that is, they call the teach
er to account for the legislation of
men who went to Charleston at the
call of these very men. And take
away the bread and butter from the
trainers of their sons, from the men
and women who are making the flu
ture citizens of this country, for the
sake of a few paltry dollars.
What is Monongalia county com
ing to? Such shylock parsimony is
only equaled by the ignorance die
tating such stupid policy. The
effect must rebound upon their own
heads. Good teachers will be.driven
from the work and these same citi-
zens will consequently suffer.
Rather could they afford to raise
the wages and extend the length of
the school term In doing this act
they completely stultify themselves
and stamp themselves as shortsight-
ed and impolitic. 0, may the time
speedily come when our county can
emerge from the jungles of "moss-
backism," and may her educational
interests be in the hands of men who
will think more of mind and soul
than of the paltry dollar.
MORGAN DISTRICT TEACHER.
Births.